Bucket device



Oct. 10, 1961 H. LUTJENs 3,003,265

BUCKET DEVICE Filed D90. 30, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG. 2

INVENTOR.

l I .nl u f #ffm MQW .111,11 im H BY ATTO R N EY H. LUTJENS BUCKET DEVICE Oct. 10, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 30. 1959 2 INVENTOR.

- #a/ha, mf/my BY g /QATTORNEYY United States Patent C 3,003,265 BUCKET ,DEVICE Herman Lutjens, 895 Westwood Ave., River Vale, NJ. Filed Dec. 30, 1959, Ser. No. 862,914 1 Claim. (Cl. 37118) This invention relates to a bucket construction designed especially for use by landscapers to enable them to use the full open face of the bucket in the topsoil scooping operation and then, for the earth discharge operation, to cover the bucket face with the frame or screen of the invention for separating foreign objects from the topsoil being dumped.

The invention utilizes constructions and novel and adjustable features below more particularly described.

The drawings, illustrating procedures and devices useful in carrying out the invention, and the description below, are exemplary only of the invention, which shall be deemed to cover all other devices and procedures coming within the scope and purview of the appended claim.

In the drawings, wherein similar reference characters indicate like parts;

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the bucket portion of an earth moving machine in which the invention may be applied and used, the frame of the invention being shown held clear of the bucket face for the earth scooping operation,

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view showing the frame of the invention closed against the open face of the bucket in the earth dumping operation,

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a frame embodying the invention, and

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary elevational view of the frame of the invention.

In the drawings the invention is shown used in connection with a topsoil scooping bucket which is pivotally connected at 11 with an arm 12 of an earth moving apparatus and further connected with a linkage 15 of the earth moving apparatus, the latter having a hydraulic line 18 and pump 17 therefor, said hydraulic line 18 being connected to hydraulic line 33 for hydraulic cylinder 16, below more particularly described. Valve 19, controlled by the operator of the vehicle, connects the lines 33 and 18 and thus controls actuation of the piston rod 20 of cylinder 16. The earth moving machine (not shown) may be of any desired type suitable for causing the linkage 15 and arm 12 to move the bucket 10 to the FIG. l position for scooping the earth E thereinto and thereafter to the FIG. 2 dumping position.

Frame or screen 22 is generally U-shape in cross-section with one edge pivotally connected to the bucket 10 at 13 as by providing said screen with extension such as apertured ears 14 (FIG. 3) and removable pins 23. It is connected at 24 by removable pins 25 passing through-apertured ears 26 carried by a rigidifying plate 27 of frame 22 (ears 26 being disposed intermediate the ends of plate 27), and apertures in the free ends 2S of rods 20 of pistons in cylinders 16. The latter, are pivoted, as at 29 (FIG. l) to spaced bearings 30 on bucket 10 by removable pins. Thus, the four connection pins, for example, 23, 25, may be used to assemble frame 22 on bucket 10 and to allow for separation of said parts when desired.

IPursuant to the invention, the frame A,22. may be selectively held clear of bucket face 21 (Fig. 1) at one position on actuation of the valve 19 and against said face 21 (FIG. 2) on actuation of the valve 19 to another position. When the bucket is in the dumping position, the frame will hold back rocks, and other foreign objects and topsoil will pass therethrough. Frame 22 comprises a plurality of parallel desirably cylindrical bars 32 with Patented Oct. 10, 1961 intermediate portions bent to conform with the general U-shape of the frame 22, secured together by means such as the desirably flat or sectionally rectangular frame plates 27 (FIG. 3) and presenting restricted but maximum openings 34 (FIG. 4) therebetween for the purpose mentioned. A second frame 35 (FIG. 4) disposed exterior of the frame 22, comprising a plurality of desirably cylindrical bars 36 of smaller diameter than the bars 32 held in spaced parallel relation to bars 37 and spaced equally to the spacing of the bars of frame 22. Said frame 35 is movably secured to frame 22 by means such as adjusting devices 38, whereby the bars 36 of said second frame 35, disposed against the faces of the bars 37 opposite to those which slidably engage the bars 32, may be held in approximate registry with those of the frame 22, so as not to substantially reduce the openings 34 of the latter, or positioned intermediate said bars 32 to reduce said openings as noted at 39, FIG. 4, to thereby restrain objects of smaller size from passage according to the desires of the user. The adjusting means 38 may includes slots 41 formed in bars 37 and threaded studs 42 formed on a pair of bars 32 and extending through said slots and engaged by wing nuts or the like 43 engaging said studs 42 and bars 37. The ends 40 of frame 22 may comprise a plurality of bars spaced apart as illustrated (FIG. 3) and secured to plate 27 and to and spanning the distances between respective portions of the end bars 32 of frame 22.

By virtue of the specilic construction of the frame 22, its eiciency is increased in the following ways. 'Ihe capacity thereof for screening topsoil and the like is increased by the use of bars at the sides rather than imperforate plates. Adjustability of the bars 36 with respect to the bars 32 is magnified by having said bars 36 disposed and secured on sides of the carrying plates 37, opposite rather than the same as those which slide on the bars 32 during the adjusting operation. Further, by making the diameter of the bars 36 smaller than that of the bars 32, there is no substantial interference by said bars 36 to the ow of material when set toY register as nearly as possible with the bars 32, even if the setting or bar spacing is slightly inaccurate.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

In combination with a bucket for an earth moving machine having an open face, wherein said bucket may be mounted on said machine and connected thereto so as to be selectively movable to an earth scooping or an earth dumping position, a screen device including a first frame generally U-shaped, coextensive with the entire open face of the bucket and formed as a plurality of bars held in spaced parallel relationship, a pair of rst apertured ears disposed in spaced relation on an edge of the frame and extended therefrom, removable pin means engaging said first ears to pivotally connect the frame to the bucket and also to allow for separation, a rigidifying plate extending across said frame intermediate the edges thereof, a second pair of spaced apertured ears on said plate, motor means engaging said second pair of ears and the bucket for selectively rotating the frame relative to the entire open face of the bucket, said frame further having additional spaced bars extending between the eXtreme end elements of the frame to form end walls making with said frame a cup, a second frame comprising a plurality of bars of smaller diameter than those of the rst frame, held in spaced parallel relation, lying outside of one side portion of said U-shaped frame and continued from one edge thereof to said rigidifying bar, the bars of the second frame being connected by flat plates slidably engaging the bars of the first frame, a plurality of bars on said lirst frame having studs outstanding therefrom, and said plates having slots receiving said studs to allowA -forV sliding,` movement between said plates and said first frame bars, and means threaded .on the parts of said studs extending beyond said bars for securing said second frame to the first frame and tightening said plates in adjusted .position against said: rst frame bars, the bars of said first ,and second frames respectively engaging opposite faces of said plates, so that the bars of the second frame may be disposed optionally in substantial registery with or intermediate the bars of the first frame, to thus adjust the openings therebetween, whereby when the frames are rotated against the bucket face to close it and the bucket is then moved to .dumping position, ma-

, terial discharged therefrom will pass/through the frames and the end walls, restraining .objects of selected oversize, and when the bucket is moved to the scooping position, the `frames mayl be rotated clear of said open face to facilitate a scoopingnoperation.

References Cited in the ijle of this patent UNITED SlKIlEISv PATENTS 336,271- varian ,--r Feb. 16, 1886 2,635,884 Christiansen Apr. 21, 1953 10 2,717,704 Pilch i,.. Sept. 13, 1955 165,844 Sweden s Ian. V"l, 1'959 

